Visions...

I've had several "visions" all pertaining to the Trinity. This Trinity thing has troubled me for years. It is more annoying than anything. I realize that nothing anyone can ever say or do will change the standing dogma of the traditional Christian church. Jehovah's Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, Unitarians, Christadelphians or any other denomination whose standing is basically a reaction against this doctrine will never change a thing. It may provide an alternative but when one's essence is reactive rather than proactive, it is ultimately limited. Overshadowing the whole venture looms the Trinity. Like it or not...

So lately I've really been wresting with it. I've had visions over the past several years, several of which are "Trinitarian" in nature. It is perhaps because so much energy is concentrated into this struggle that such visions are my release. Are they "visions" from God in the Biblical sense? Are they heavenly visions? Divine communication? Psychological or semiconcious in nature? Beats me but they are clear and life altering.

However, I can't say that because of them I am now "Trinitarian" (though I do "get" the Trinity). But, in perspective, I don't deny it either as I appreciate it and understand how it is that it came to be accepted as dogma. Books and volumes of books have covered the subject. I have little to contribute in that regard. However, I have collected some points I have recently brought up on beliefnet, a few of which have received an 'Amen!' from a traditional, conservative, doctrinal Christian which makes me realize that I really do "get" it.

3/18/2008

I fought the Trinity for a long time until it slowly began to dawn on me that what I was arguing against was, by and large, me (funny thing, huh?).

The other thing I learned was that the problem wasn’t necessarily the Trinity itself but the superficial crap I had been reading, studying and being fed. There is such a lightweight, shallow understanding of the Trinity that is passed around these days as truth, as if just because some words are quoted from the Bible and some proof-texts from the Church Fathers or other apologists, that that should be enough to convince someone.

The reality is that one’s life should be a reflection of Christ, not one’s arguments. Don’t get me wrong, debate serves a purpose, but the way in which we debate often says more than the words we use in the debate. This isn’t a judgment but when you meet folks whose lives been changed by meeting the living Christ, by those who have a relationship with him, there is ‘something’ that is unmistakable.

So too often it’s just a bunch of books, articles and individuals running around tossing out proof-texts and spouting off regurgitated knowledge that frequently lacks depth in the person doing the spouting, as if this is the Gospel message.

On an aside, I’d be curious to hear an argument between some of the folks here and some of the earliest Church Fathers rather than arguing against modern day apologists. I can’t tell you how often I realize that we get their words wrong also.